كَلِفتُI became enamored بِلَيلىof Layla خَدينِcompanion of الشَبابِyouth
كَلِفتُ بِلَيلى خَدينِ الشَبابِ
وَعالَجتُand I wrestled with مِنهاbecause of her زَماناًfor a time خَبالاmadness
وَعالَجتُ مِنها زَماناً خَبالا
I was enamored of Layla, companion of youth,
and for a time I wrestled with madness because of her.
لَهاshe has العَينُthe eye وَالجيدُand the neck مِنof مُغزِلٍa doe with a fawn
لَها العَينُ وَالجيدُ مِن مُغزِلٍ
تُلاعِبُplaying with فيin القَفَراتِthe wildernesses الغَزالاthe fawn
تُلاعِبُ في القَفَراتِ الغَزالا
Her eye and neck are those of a doe
playing with her fawn in the wilderness.
كَأَنَّas though السُلافَfirst-run wine بِأَنيابِهاupon her canine teeth
كَأَنَّ السُلافَ بِأَنيابِها
يُخالِطُmingles فيin النَومِsleep عَذباًsweet water زُلالاclear and pure
يُخالِطُ في النَومِ عَذباً زُلالا
As though first-run wine upon her teeth
were mingling in sleep with sweet, limpid water.
وَكَيفَand how تَذَّكَرُهاcan you recall her بَعدَماafter
وَكَيفَ تَذَّكَرُها بَعدَما
كَبِرتَyou have grown old وَحلَّand has settled المَشيبُgray hair القَذالاthe back of the head
كَبِرتَ وَحلَّ المَشيبُ القَذالا
And how can you recall her, now that
you have aged and gray has settled on the back of your head?
فَدَعso leave عَنكَaside from you لَيلىLayla وَأَترابَهاand her age-mates
فَدَع عَنكَ لَيلى وَأَترابَها
فَقَدfor indeed تَقطَّعُsever الغانِياتُbeautiful women الوِصالاloving union
فَقَد تَقطَّعُ الغانِياتُ الوِصالا
So put Layla and her age-mates out of mind,
for beautiful women may sever love's bonds.
فَإِمّاso if تَرَينيyou see me عَلىin آلَةٍa condition
فَإِمّا تَرَيني عَلى آلَةٍ
رَفَضتُI have forsaken الصِباyouthful passion وَلَبِستُand I have donned السِمالاthreadbare garments
رَفَضتُ الصِبا وَلَبِستُ السِمالا
So if you see me in such a state—
having forsaken youthful passion and donned threadbare clothes—
فَقَدyet indeed أَقطَعُI cross الخَرقَthe vast waste بَعدَafter الخُروقِother vast wastes
فَقَد أَقطَعُ الخَرقَ بَعدَ الخُروقِ
تَخالُyou would take اليَرابيعَthe jerboas فيهِin it رِئالاfor ostrich chicks
تَخالُ اليَرابيعَ فيهِ رِئالا
yet I have crossed waste after waste,
where you would take jerboas for ostrich chicks,
إِلىto خَيرِthe finest مُستَمطَرٍimplored for rain كَفُّهُhis palm
إِلى خَيرِ مُستَمطَرٍ كَفُّهُ
وَخَيرِand the finest of المَقاوِلِchieftains عَمّاًin paternal uncles وَخالاand maternal uncles
وَخَيرِ المَقاوِلِ عَمّاً وَخالا
to the finest man whose palm is asked for rain,
and the finest of chieftains by his father's and mother's kin.
تَخَلَّقَhe was fashioned فيin البَيتِthe house مِنof حاشِدٍHashid
تَخَلَّقَ في البَيتِ مِن حاشِدٍ
تَراهُsee him البَرِيَّةُhumankind فيهاamong them هِلالاas a crescent moon
تَراهُ البَرِيَّةُ فيها هِلالا
He was fashioned in the house of Hashid;
the people see him in their midst as a crescent moon.
وَأَفضَلُand the finest ذيof those of يَمَنٍYemen كُلِّهاall of it
وَأَفضَلُ ذي يَمَنٍ كُلِّها
إِذاwhen اِفتَقَدَlack المُسنِتونَthe drought-stricken السِجالاbrimming water-buckets
إِذا اِفتَقَدَ المُسنِتونَ السِجالا
And he is the finest in all Yemen,
when drought-stricken folk lack brimming buckets.
فَقَحطانُfor Qahtan تَعلَمُknows أَنthat لَيسَthere is no حَيٌّtribe
فَقَحطانُ تَعلَمُ أَن لَيسَ حَيٌّ
مِنَamong الناسِmankind أَكرَمَnobler مِنكُمthan you فِعالاin deeds
مِنَ الناسِ أَكرَمَ مِنكُم فِعالا
For Qahtan knows that no tribe
among mankind is nobler in deeds than you,
وَأَنَّكَand that you مَرسىare the anchorage of حُروبِthe wars of النِزالِclose combat
وَأَنَّكَ مَرسى حُروبِ النِزالِ
إِذاwhen كَرِهَdread المُعلِمونَwarriors bearing battle-marks النِزالاclose combat
إِذا كَرِهَ المُعلِمونَ النِزالا
and that you are the anchor of close-fought wars,
when marked warriors dread close combat.
تَقودُyou lead الجِيادَthe noble horses بِأَرسانِهاby their reins
تَقودُ الجِيادَ بِأَرسانِها
يُغادِرنَthey leave behind فيin الفَلَواتِthe wildernesses النِقالاworn-out shoes
يُغادِرنَ في الفَلَواتِ النِقالا
You lead the noble horses by their reins;
they leave worn-out shoes in the wilderness.
شَماطيطَin scattered bands تَمزَعُdart مَزعَwith the darting of الظِباgazelles
شَماطيطَ تَمزَعُ مَزعَ الظِبا
وَتَفريand cut off فَلاthe wastes of الأَرضِthe earth مِنهاfrom them السِخالاthe foals
وَتَفري فَلا الأَرضِ مِنها السِخالا
Scattered in bands, they dart like gazelles,
while the earth's wastes cut their foals off from them.
إِذاwhen ماever اِنتَضىhe raises التاجَthe crown فَوقَabove السَريرِthe throne
إِذا ما اِنتَضى التاجَ فَوقَ السَريرِ
فَلَنthen never will يَعدِلَequal الناسُmankind مِنهُof his قِبالاa sandal-strap
فَلَن يَعدِلَ الناسُ مِنهُ قِبالا
When he raises his crown above the throne,
all mankind cannot equal a sandal-strap of his.
يَسومُhe rules البَرِيَّةَhumankind سَومَwith the sway of العَزيزِthe mighty
يَسومُ البَرِيَّةَ سَومَ العَزيزِ
وَقَدwhile already لَبِسَhas donned الدَهرُtime حالاًone state فَحالاthen another state
وَقَد لَبِسَ الدَهرُ حالاً فَحالا
He rules mankind with a mighty ruler's sway,
while Time has worn one guise after another.
وَماand no مُزبِدٌfoaming flood مِنfrom خَليجِa branch of الفُراتِthe Euphrates
وَما مُزبِدٌ مِن خَليجِ الفُراتِ
يَحُطُّbrings down الصُخورَthe rocks وَيَعلوand overtops الجِبالاthe mountains
يَحُطُّ الصُخورَ وَيَعلو الجِبالا
No foaming flood from a branch of the Euphrates,
bringing down rocks and overtopping mountains,
يَكُبُّtopples السِفينَthe ships لِأَذقانِهاonto their chins
يَكُبُّ السِفينَ لِأَذقانِها
وَيَصرَعُand fells بِالعَبرِon the riverbank أَثلاًtamarisks وَضالاand wild lote trees
وَيَصرَعُ بِالعَبرِ أَثلاً وَضالا
toppling ships onto their chins,
and felling tamarisks and wild lote trees along the bank,
بِأَجوَدَmore generous مِنهُthan he إِذاwhen جِئتَهُyou come to him
بِأَجوَدَ مِنهُ إِذا جِئتَهُ
عَلىamid حادِثِa calamity of الدَهرِtime يَوماًone day نَوالاin bounty
عَلى حادِثِ الدَهرِ يَوماً نَوالا
is more generous than he, when you come to him
one day amid time's calamity, seeking bounty.
هَوَhe الواهِبُthe giver of المِئَةَa hundred camels المُصطَفاةَcarefully chosen
هَوَ الواهِبُ المِئَةَ المُصطَفاةَ
تُجاوِبُanswer مِنهاamong them العِشارُten-month-pregnant she-camels الفِصالاthe weaned camel calves
تُجاوِبُ مِنها العِشارُ الفِصالا
He is the giver of a hundred choice camels;
among them, pregnant she-camels answer the weaned calves,
وَكُلَّand every أَمينِsound in الشَظاthe shank-bones سابِحٍswimming-strided steed
وَكُلَّ أَمينِ الشَظا سابِحٍ
يَقطَعُpierces مِنهُfrom it النَحيطُthe snorting الجِلالاthe horsecloths
يَقطَعُ مِنهُ النَحيطُ الجِلالا
and of every sound-shanked, swimming-strided steed,
whose snorting pierces its horsecloths.
Translation model: Sol 6.1